Advanced Hospital Coding and CCS Prep (Voucher Included)

OVERVIEW

Inpatient acute care coding (hospital coding) is one of the best-paying sectors of the coding profession. If you're already performing some aspect of facility coding, the Advanced Hospital Coding (AHC) Program will fill in the gaps, making you a more marketable employee. These skills are essential to your successful completion of the American Health Information Management Association's (AHIMA) mastery-level credentialing exam, the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS®).

If you are currently working in a physician’s office or billing service, this program will give you the edge you need to advance in the workplace. Most hospitals will only hire coders with previous exposure to facility coding or who are already certified. Training on the job is a luxury most hospitals are unable to offer. Coders of all levels must undergo continuing education to stay current with the constantly changing regulations.

The AHC program covers advanced, hospital-specific coding and billing procedures and is designed to help students meet the challenge of today's changing standards. This program will utilize your existing knowledge of medical terminology and healthcare sciences. Your coding skills will be heightened and focused, preparing you for employment testing and successful completion of the CCS exam.

OBJECTIVE

When you've successfully completed this program, you'll:

Understand how health information travels within departments of a facility

Be able to define the roles and responsibilities of a coder in both inpatient and outpatient facilities

Assign ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT/ HCPCS Level II codes and modifiers

Know how to interpret clinical documentation using your knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy/physiology, and disease processes

Use the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) to appropriately assign HCPCS codes for outpatient Medicare reimbursement

Data Quality

Clarify conflicting, ambiguous, or missing information appearing in a health record by querying the appropriate physician

Participate in quality assessment to ensure continuous improvement in ICD-10-CM/PCS and CPT coding and collection of accurate health data

Demonstrate the ability to recognize and report coding-quality issues

Apply policies and procedures on clinical documentation and coding that are consistent with official coding guidelines

Contribute to the development of facility-specific coding policies and procedures

Understand internal and external audit findings

DETAILS

Facility coding (hospital coding) is one of the best-paying sectors of the coding profession. If you're already performing some aspect of facility coding, the Advanced Hospital Coding (AHC) program will fill in the gaps, making you a more marketable employee. If you're currently working in a physician’s office or other ambulatory care setting, this program will give you the edge you need to advance in the workplace.

Hospital coding is rarely an entry-level position, and most hospital coders are required to be certified. The AHC program covers advanced, hospital-specific coding and billing procedures and is designed to help students meet the challenge of today's changing standards. This program will utilize your existing knowledge of medical terminology and healthcare sciences. In addition, your coding skills will be heightened and focused, preparing you for employment testing and successful completion of the CCS exam.

Professional Review Guide for the CCS/CCS-P Examination (1yr of access to e-book)

Students are responsible for the following:

Students should have the current year's version of the following materials for the Advanced Hospital Coding & CCS Prep Course. Before purchasing, please check the AHIMA website for the Allowable Code Books List for the CCS certification examination.

Materials:

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)

Healthcare Professional Coding System (HCPCS) Level II

ICD-10-CM

ICD-10-PCS

PREREQUISITES

The Advanced Hospital Coding program is not an entry-level program. This program is designed specifically for students with previous coding experience or education, and for students who have completed either the ed2go Administrative Medical Specialist with Medical Billing and Coding or the Medical Billing and Coding program by itself.

Advanced Hospital Coding students should have:

High school diploma/GED

Minimum two years of experience with medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, pathology

Perform a minimum of two (2) years of related coding experience directly applying codes OR

Have another coding credential from a certifying organization plus one (1) year coding experience directly applying codes

Important Note: If you do not qualify for the CCS exam, you may be eligible for the Certified Coding Associate (CCA®) an entry-level certification exam offered by AHIMA or the American Association of Professional Coders Apprentice level certification, the Certified Professional Coder Apprentice (CPC-A) or Certified Inpatient Coder (CICTM). This course will prepare you for those certifications as well, and you’ll find more information about them in the Certification Prep lesson at the end of the course.

INSTRUCTOR

Ms. Dalgleish has worked in medical office administration, including billing and coding, for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor's degree in Business Information Systems and a master's degree in Leadership. She is an AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer and is a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the American Association of Healthcare Administrative Management (AAHAM). She owns her own consulting firm, AnnGrant Education Services, Inc. She is currently completing a textbook on the new ICD-10 coding system and is completing a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management with a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) certification.

Bunny Reeves is the senior ambulatory surgery coder at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. She ensures that all charges are captured using appropriate CPT, ICD-9 codes, and modifiers.

Bunny has trained and supervised entry-level coders at St. Vincent Medical Center in Staten Island and currently trains student coders at Maimonides Medical Center. She has many years of experience in inpatient and professional coding.

In 2007, Ms. Reeves became a Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) through the nationally known organization, American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).

Bunny is married with two children.

FAQS

1. Can I
register for courses if I am an international student?

Yes, because ed2go courses are online you never have to actually
travel to the school. Most schools offer telephone or online
registration.
2. How long
does it take to complete a course?

All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment, so you can
start them when you want and finish them at your own pace. Upon
registering, you're given six months to complete this course.

3. Do I have to
buy additional materials?

If you don't have access to current coding books, you'll be responsible
for obtaining them.
4. Does this course prepare for National Certification?

Yes, the Advanced Hospital Coding course prepares students to sit for
the Certified Coding Specialist exam offered by AHIMA.
5. Can I get
financial assistance?

ed2go courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for
federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development
boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.
6. What happens
when I complete the course?

Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a
certificate of completion.
7. Am I
guaranteed a job?

ed2go courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an
entry-level position in most cases. We don't provide direct job
placement services, but our facilitators and career counselors will
help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding
your first job. Facilitators will also be available to use as a
professional reference upon completion of the program. Potential
students should always do research on the job market in their area
before registering.

8. Who will be
my instructor?

Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one
interaction. The facilitator will be available (via e-mail) to answer
any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance.
All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the
fields in which they teach.

9. What
software or hardware do I need in order to take online courses and
what are the system requirements?

In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a
computer and the Internet. You can access the program contents from any
Web-enabled computer. You don't have to use the same computer to log-in
to the program every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing
program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet
Explorer.

10. Can I use a
Mac?

Yes, you can use a Mac for this course.
11. How can I
get more information about the course?

If you have questions that are not answered on our website, please feel
free to contact us via LIVE chat (click the button toward the top of
the page). If you are visiting us during non-business hours, please
feel free to send us a question using the "Contact Us" form to the
right. You may also call us at 1-855-520-6806. We will answer your
questions promptly.
12. When can I
start the course?
Our programs are all open enrollment. You can register and start the
program as soon as you are ready.
Please note:
Once the course curriculum is accessed online or through submission of
a material shipment confirmation, refunds cannot be issued.

13. What if I don't have enough time to complete my course within the time frame provided?

The
time allotted to complete your program has been calculated based on the
number of hours for each program, so don't worry too much about not
completing in time. If, after a concerted effort, you are still unable
to complete, your Student Advisor will help you work out a suitable
completion date. Please note that a fee may be charged for an extension.

REVIEWS

As a bilingual I really enjoy everything about this course... The teacher responded very promptly whenever I sent her a question; this is a great opportunity for anyone who would love to achieve a better future for tomorrow- E.H., DePaul University

My facilitator's responses were always quick when I had a question. Bunny is very knowledgeable.- M.S., Excelsior College

My facilitator was always easy to contact and always answered questions quickly. I thought the course was very well organized, especially for a course that contains so many smaller areas within a broader-based field of content. This course had to be difficult to set up and have the information flow as smoothly as it did. It was very well set up in my opinion. This contributed greatly to my ability to learn and relate the various types of information so that I could complete assignments and tests. I had an excellent learning experience. This is exactly the type of learning environment that students need. I learn more in a positive learning environment where I feel comfortable asking questions and that sums up my experience with the AHC & CCS Prep course. It was great!- E.B., Middle Tennessee State University

I enjoyed the ability to work at my own pace. The immediate feedback from my facilitator was amazing and the coursework was exceptional. I will be recommending ed2go to everyone. Thank You.- B.V., University of Houston

I liked that it was available to do at my own pace and yet I could reach someone when I had a question. The combination of the online course and the books proved to be an intense learning experience. I am happy that I was able to pass the CCS exam earlier this week and could not have done it without this preparation!- M.H., Madonna University

Mercer County Community College1200 Old Trenton RoadTrenton, NJ 08690 US